Gray and Gold
by DragonsDeadAndDancing
Summary: An attempt at romance. No horror. No fights. Neither blood nor gore. Starring dear Aryna as the blushing bride.


**Gods, I'm awful! Still not officially back from hiatus, about half a chapter from Don't cry done.**

"Do I look okay?", the High Elf asked for the probably twentieth time on this afternoon.

"Yes, yes, yes. Wait, actually...no!" Luaffyn smiled wickedly as Aryna paled. "You look wonderful. Honestly."

Suvaris looked up from her fingernails, which she had been cleaning carefully. "He'll say yes."

"And what if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll beat some sense in his head." Idesa scowled. "You're the best he can hope for…sorry, this sounded wrong…"

"Everyone in the Grey Quarter knows he has a crush on you. Whenever anyone says your name, he gets this broad, shining smile. One day, Ambarys will kick him out of the Cornerclub because he looks too happy." Niranye grinned at Aryna.

The five women sat in the second floor of the New Gnisis Cornerclub in the Grey Quarter of Windhelm. Luaffyn was the bard at Candlehearth Hall, Idesa the babysitter of little Grimvar Cruel-Sea and Suvaris worked for the Shatter-Shield family. But for one afternoon, the three Dunmer and the High Elf merchant Niranye had abandoned their jobs because a friend needed their help.

Aryna looked at her image in the broken mirror again. She wore red Dunmeri clothes, which was her right as a member of House Telvanni, despite being an Altmer from Alinor. They worked well with her golden hair, eyes and skin. But she was too pale. And she had this worried look again. Who would even think of marrying a woman who always-

"Hey. Stop worrying." Idesa put a hand to Aryna's shoulder. "My brother is not that stupid. He will marry you, okay?" The High Elf managed a small nod and a tiny, tiny smile.

Suvaris groaned. "I will certainly not come to your ceremony. If you're that nervous at the engagement, the wedding will be a nightmare."

"Oh, shut up, Suavaris. It's normal to be nervous; they have been courting for only twelve years." Luaffyn hugged her friend.

"What time is it?" Revyn closed his shop at eight o'clock and she wanted to be there half an hour before.

The other women shrugged. "Hey, Ambarys!", Suvaris shouted down. "What's the time?"

"Quarter to seven, and don't you dare to ask again for half an hour! I have customers!"

"Forty-five minutes left", Suvaris informed her friends unnecessarily.

Forty-five minutes. Aryna hoped it wouldn't be as bad as the last time. Three years ago she had already tried to engage with him. But when he noticed her Amulet of Mara, she panicked and said it was a mistake. On her trip back to Raven Rock, she threw the necklace in the Sea of Ghosts.

She had gone to Skyrim almost thirteen years ago, a student from Alinor trying to get some experience. When she came to Windhelm, she made friends with Suvaris, Luaffyn, Idesa and Niranye. Idesa asked her to help her brother Revyn with a small problem and Aryna immediately fell in love with him. But she was too shy to do anything about it, until she had a little talk with Brunwulf Free-Winter, a hero of war and supporter of outlanders in Windhelm. He told her to 'just do it. Can't get worse.'

"It's time!", said Luaffyn.

"Don't panic." Niranye grabbed her friend's shoulders and stared in her eyes. "He will say yes."

XXX

"Hello, Revyn."

The Dark Elf smiled. "Aryna! Welcome." His eyebrows rose. "You look fantastic."

"Thank you." Stop blushing, she chided herself.

"What do you need?"

Don't panic. "Oh, I just wanted to visit you."

"Ah." Revyn seemed a little bit confused. "Well, I would be closing in a few minutes anyway. We haven't seen each other in…how long?"

"Two months. I would like to have a little chat with you." She raised the bottle full of sujamma in her hand.

Five minutes later they sat in Revyn's tiny kitchen, each of them holding a cup.

"So, how are things going in Solstheim?", asked the Dunmer after the first sip.

"Good. I managed to stop the ash spawn attacks on Raven Rock and Tel Mithryn. And here?"

"Nothing new. Still war, but we try to keep out of it." He hesitated. "Is…is this Amulet of Mara another mistake or are you looking for a husband?"

Thank you!, Aryna sent a silent prayer to every god who was listening. "No mistake. Interested in me, are you?"

"You are pleasant company, more than pleasant. And what about you? Would you... be interested in a life together?"

"Revyn, I...that's what I've been wanting for the last decade."

Revyn grinned. "I'm sorry. I've wanted to ask you a long time ago, but-"

Aryna just kissed him.

**One day I decided to finally marry my High Elf. I actually wanted to marry Moth, but when I heard the first line of dialogue from Revyn, I was in love with him.**

**Look also at 013bela's Tea with Amulets. If you read this, thanks again for sending me the lines. Read your fic a long time ago, then I found it again when I was searching for Revyn's lines, so I guess you put this idea in my head.**

**Stuff belongs to Bthesda.**


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